At the start of the 1950s, Ziegler and Natta discovered that simple metallorganic catalysts are capable of transforming olefins into linear polymers with highly ordered structures. This pioneering discovery was recognized with a Nobel Prize in 1963. In the 80s and 90s, the development of molecular defined metallocenes led to a renaissance for non-polar polyolefin materials. Designer catalysts allowed a greater precision in defining properties of the material. The past 10 years have seen the discovery of new catalysts based on late transition metals, which allow the combination of polar monomers with non-polar olefins and thus lead to innovative materials. Here, the world's leading authors from industry and academia describe the latest developments in this fascinating field for the first time in such comprehensive detail. In so doing, they introduce readers systematically to the basic principles and show how these new catalysts can effectively be used for polymerization reactions. This makes the book an ideal and indispensable reference for specialists, advanced students, and scientists of various disciplines dealing with research into catalysts and materials science.

Bernhard Rieger is the editor ofLate Transition Metal Polymerization Catalysis, published by Wiley.

Lisa Saunders Baugh is the editor ofLate Transition Metal Polymerization Catalysis, published by Wiley.

Smita Kacker is the editor ofLate Transition Metal Polymerization Catalysis, published by Wiley.

Susanne Striegler is the editor ofLate Transition Metal Polymerization Catalysis, published by Wiley.

Preface.

List of Contributors.

Nickel Polymerization Catalysts with Ylide Steering Ligands (A. Starzewski).

Microstructure Control of Ethene Homopolymers Through Tailored Ni,Pd(II) Catalysts (J. Kukral,et al.).

Highly Active Ethene Polymerization Catalysts with Unusual Imine Ligands (G. Luinstra,et al.).

Cycloaliphatic Polymers via Late Transition Metal Catalysis (B. Goodall).

Well-Defined Transition Metal Catalysts for Metathesis Polymerization (M. Buchmeiser).

Catalysis in Acyclic Diene Metathesis (ADMET) Polymerization (S. Lehman& K. Wagener).

Transition Metal-Catalyzed Polymerization in Aqueous Systems (S. Mecking& J. Claverie).

Copolymerization of Carbon Monoxide with Alkenes (G. Consiglio).

Strategies for Catalytic Polymerization of Polar Monomers (A. Sen& M. Kang).

Subject Index.